It seems Asus is planning to do some reorganization in the way it names it devices by introducing a new naming convention for entry-level devices. This week, the company has launched the first model of the series in Brazil – the Asus Live.

Although sporting a new name, the Asus Live appears to have retained some Zenfone components including a 5.0-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

The phone is powered by a MediaTek MT6580 chipset and comes with an 8MP+2MP camera combo. It also supports two SIM cards and comes with a 2070mAh battery as well as LTE connectivity.

The Zenfone Live is also sporting a built-in digital TV receiver and comes in a variety of colors including Blue, Pink and Yellow. Asus is now selling the phone in Brazil for around $211.

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Asus was feeling very generous this week to the entire mobile phone community by announcing three new handsets – the Zenfone Max, Zenfone 2 Deluxe and the Zenfone 2 Laser.

First one up, is the Zenfone Max, an almost typical mid-range smartphone apart from its massive 5000mAh battery. This effectively puts the Zenfone Max in direct firing range of the Gionee Marathon M5 and the Blu Sutdio Energy in terms of battery capacity.

As for the rest of the specs, the Zenfone Max comes with a 5.5-inch 720p IPS panel with Gorilla glass 4, a Snapdragon 410 chipset with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

A 13MP is also situated at the back of the handset with dual-LED dual-tone flash with laser-assisted autofocus. On the other hand, a 5MP snapper with an 85-degree wide-angle lens is placed at the front for selfies and video calls. The device will also support dual-SIM functionality as well as 4G LTE connectivity, GPS and Bluetooth v4.0.

Also part of Asus’ announcement is the Zenfone 2 Laser, a 5-inch handset with a 720p display with the same Snapdragon 410 chipset, 2GB of RAM and 8GB or 16GB of expandable storage. The device’s display is also protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 4 and it also packs Android 5.0 Lollipop and LTE connectivity.

What’s interesting with the Zenfone 2 Laser would definitely be its camera equipment. The handset boasts a 13MP rear camera whose resolution can be extended up to 52MP using a special mode. The main camera also uses laser autofocus and a 5-element lens with an f/2.0 aperture.

Meanwhile, the front camera has a 5MP sensor with a wide-angle lens for selfies. There’s also a Super HDR mode that allows the Zenfone 2 Laser to shoot in bright light conditions. The phone’s battery is rated at 2070mAh for the 8GB version and 2400mAh for the 16GB variant.

Finally, those looking for a more stylish Zenfone 2, there’s the Zenfone 2 Deluxe. It’s a 5.5-inch handset powered by an Intel Atom chip with a 1080p display, 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of expandable storage.

This phone has a 13MP+5MP camera combo, a 3000mAh battery with BoostMaster fast charging and a specially crafted back cover that features a polygonal design. Asus says the design of the back cover features over 500 triangles joined together to resemble a crystal.

There are no details yet on when and how much the three phones would sell.

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Remember the $128 Pegasus X002 smartphone that was released back in December of last year? Well, Asus has decided it needs an update in the form of the Pegasus 2 Plus that was unveiled this week in China.

The phone is built around a 5.5-inch Full HD display and comes with a Snapdragon 615 chipset which features a 64-bit octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and a 3030mAh battery. There’s also a 13MP camera at the back and an 8MP selfie snapper on the front.

Asus has opted to get Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on the Pegasus 2 Plus with a layer of Zen UI on top. The phone comes in two color options – rose gold and white. There’s no word yet on pricing and availability, but we do hope it will be close to the original Pegasus phone’s price point.

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It’s that time of the year again where Taiwan becomes the center of Asia (and arguably the tech world) with COMPUTEX, the region’s largest tech-centered event kicking off in Taipei. This year, the event opens with one of the country’s resident tech giant announcing several devices including a new smartphone, a smartwatch and a few tablets.

First, there’s the Asus Zenfone Selfie, which as the name implies is a Zenfone made for people who like taking selfies. The device is packing a 13MP front-facing camera just like its main competitors such as the HTC Desire Eye, Micromax Canvas Selfie and the Sony Xperia C4. 

It’s also sporting a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD display, a Snapdragon 615 chipset with an octa-core processor, Adreno 405 GPU, 2GB or 3GB of RAM depending on the market and 16GB to 32GB of on-board storage. There’s also a 3000mAh battery and 4G LTE connectivity.

The star feature of the phone though is of course its 13MP cameras. Both cameras come with dual-LED flash with the one on the front flaunting an 88-degree f/2.2 lens. The front cam also comes with an HDR mode, a set of beautification tools and a special setting for low-light conditions.

Asus also unveiled the second-generation ZenWatch, which now comes in two sizes: a 37mm model with an 18mm strap and a 41mm model with a 22mm strap. In terms of finishes, the new ZenWatch 2 comes in stainless steel, silver, gunmetal and rose gold.

The bands also comes in different variants including rubber (in blue, orange, red and taupe), leather (khaki, brown, gray, blue and orange), stainless steel (silver, gunmetal, rose gold) and a special leather strap with a diamond pattern and Swarovski crystals. The charger is now magnetic and Asus claims it can now charge faster.

Lastly, there are the four new ZenPad models. There’s a 7-inch model, two 8-inchers and a 10.1-inch version with an optional keyboard.

The 7-inch model has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and is powered by an Intel Atom chipset with a quad-core processor and a PowerVR GPU. It also comes with 1GB of RAM and either 8GB or 16GB of on-board storage.

Then there are the two 8-inch models. The first one is packing a 1280 x 800 HD IPS panel with an Intel Atom chip packing a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB or 2GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of expandable memory and a 5MP+2MP camera combo.

The second 8-inch tablet is an S-version and sports much higher specs than the base ZenPad 8 model. The display has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and the processor is bumped up to a 64-bit Intel Atom processor with a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM and up to 32GB of expandable storage. The tablet also has an 8MP+5MP camera combo.

Both models get a 4000mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and LTE connectivity (for the ZenPad S version). Asus also made several accessories for these two tablets. The ZenPad 8 can come with optional interchangeable covers in different colors and functionality. The ZenPad 8 S on the other hand has an optional Z Stylus that supports up to 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity and up to a 1.2mm writing tip.

Lastly, the ZenPad 10 is touting a 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It also comes with an Intel Atom X3 C3200 processor with 1GB to 2GB of RAM, a Mali-450 MP4 GPU, up to 32GB of storage, a 5MP+2MP camera combo, Bluetooth 4.0 and front-facing stereo speakers.

Just like its smaller 8-inch siblings, the ZenPad 10 will be offered with a number of accessories including a Bluetooth keyboard with build-in speakers and the Z Stylus pen, again with support for 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity.

All devices mentioned above are running Android 5.0 Lollipop. No word yet on pricing and availability.

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If you’re looking for a big-screen tablet that offers high-speed internet, look no further the new Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CL that was just released two days ago.

The tablet’s 7-inch display has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and supports 10-finger multi-touch. Its innards is composed of an Intel Atom Z3530 chip with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, a PowerVr Series 6 – G6430 GPU, 2GB of RAM and either 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage that can be expanded using a microSD card.

Asus has also packed its new Fonepad with a 5MP main camera, a 2MP selfie camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS with GLONASS, a 3950mAh battery and of course LTE connectivity.

The Fonepad 7 is schedule for release initially in Taiwan for around $250 in either black or white. There’s no specific date yet on shipping especially on global availability, but we’ll know more details during MWC.

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Asus pulled off some magic tricks at CES this week. The Taiwanese tech giant has announced its newest products – mostly upgrades to its already successful phones and 2-in-1s.

First up is the Zenfone 2, which obviously will replace the trio of Zenfones from last year. The new model will have a 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution and a screen density of 403ppi, which will be protected by a Gorilla Glass 3 panel. It will also have an Intel Atom Z380 chipset with a 2.3GHz processor, at least 16GB of onboard storage and a whopping 4GB of RAM.

On the camera side, the Zenfone 2 comes with a 13MP f/2.0 rear camera with an HDR and manual mode, and a 5MP front-facing camera that features a field of view up to 140 degrees thanks to a Selfie Panorama feature. Other notable features of the handset include a 3000mAh battery, LTE connectivity, dual-SIM connectivity and Android 5.0 Lollipop with an updated ZenUI out of the box.

The phone is expected to hit the store shelves in Q2 2015 in 5 different colors including osmium black, sheer gold, glacier gray, glamor red and ceramic white. Pricing starts at $199 for the 2GB RAM/16GB version.

Then there’s the Zenfone Zoom – the company’s answer to Samsung’s Galaxy K Zoom and the Nokia Lumia 1020 by having a 13MP camera with a 3x optical zoom lens with built-in OIS. The camera also comes with a True Tone LED flash and laser focus and a variable aperture of f/2.7 to f/4.8.

As for the rest of the specs, the Zenfone Zoom shares almost identical specs as the Zenfone 2 including a 5.5-inch Full HD panel, an Intel Atom chipset with a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, a PowerVR GPU, up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage, a 5MP selfie camera, LTE connectivity, Bluetooth v4.0 and dual-SIM connectivity.

The Asus Zenfone Zoom will be available alongside the Zenfone 2 in Q2 2015 for around $400 in either meteorite black or glacier white.

Now onto the Transformers – Asus has launched three new models this year. The Transformer Book T90 is the baby of the three with a screen size of 8.9 inches that sports a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It’s packing a 1.4GHz Intel Atom Z3775 chip and comes with up to 64GB of built-in storage.

On the other hand, the Transformer Book T100, which is meant to replace last year’s model will have a 10.1 panel that offers a slightly better resolution than the T90 by having a Full HD screen. Other than the display, the T100 shares identical specs as its younger sibling.

The star of the trio is of course the Transformer Book T300 chi, which was actually first unveiled at last year’s Computex. The 2-in-1 features a 12.5-inch display that comes with either a Full HD or QHD panel. Asus has jammed Intel’s latest Core M Broadwell processor onto the device allowing the T300 to have a waistline of 1.65 inches even while docked with its keyboard.

Complete specs of the T300 chi haven’t been disclosed yet but pricing information has been released for all three tablets. The T90 will be offered at $299, while the T100 and T300 will go for $699 and $799 respectively.

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The world’s biggest tech show – CES is upon us once again. The week-long event starts next Monday and is the place where tech giants unveil their latest creations as well as projects and innovations they are currently working on. Here are some of the things we’ve heard that might make an appearance during the event.

Xiaomi – According to Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun via his Weibo account, the company is currently preparing to launch its newest flagship device sometime in January of next year. There are no details as to what this new device might be, but popular speculations suggest that it could be the new Mi4S. However, there are also rumors that Xiaomi might be working on a Core i7-packing notebook with a 15-inch 1080p display that costs less than $500.

HTC – Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC, on the other hand is reportedly planning a CES debut for its upcoming flagship codenamed Hima. Earlier today, specs of the alleged handset show up on popular benchmarking app Antutu, further fueling the rumors about its CES launch.

According to the benchmark scores, the Hima will have a 5-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 810 chipset – with an ARM-made 64-bit octa-core processor, an Adreno 430 GPU, 3GB of RAM, a 20.7MP rear camera, a 13MP selfie camera and Android 5.0.1 out of the box.

Asus – Meanwhile, on Asus’ camp, there are already several devices lining up for a CES debut. Leading the charge is a new Zenfone that was first seen on the company’s CES trailer and will reportedly have a dual-camera setup. A new 2-in-1 and a Macbook Air competitor are also expected to make an appearance at the event.

Kodak – Making a surprise announcement this week is Kodak who mentioned that it will be launching a new line of products at CES. These include a smartphone followed by a tablet and a connected camera after a couple of weeks.

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